Historical Figure—Biographical Research Paper

Introduction:
You will be writing a 3-4 page research paper on a specific person in history who has persevered through adversity. This is a research paper so you will be required to cite your sources throughout your paper and include a Works Cited page (not part of the 3-4 page requirement).

You are looking to examine how adversity (challenges) had a positive effect on the individual.

Requirements:
  • Your introduction should have brief biographical information ending with a thesis.
  • Your thesis should prove something about your historical figure. You want to demonstrate how the challenges led the individual to be who he or she is.
  • Examine at least three challenges/events from the individual’s life.
  • This is where your thesis comes into play. You will prove your thesis by using resources/facts from books and the web.

Other Requirements:
  • At least FOUR sources must be used.
  • At least TWO sources must be books. Click here to search for books in the East Library PAC.
  • At least TWO different sources need to be used in each body paragraph.
  • Only one source can be a website. (This does not mean you cannot find other sources, journals, articles, essays, online.) Try one of the links below to get to vetted online sources.
pipeline.jpg
Use the Digital Pipeline to search databases, journals
and magazine articles, information in reference sources
and full text of nonfiction books.
• Click on "High School"
• Try one of the following links to find information on your person;
Book Collection: Nonfiction
High School Ultra Edition
Student Research Center (Biographies)
Try the following online sources for
information on your person;
biography.com
biographyonline
infoplease.com (biographies)
World Book Online Encyclopedia
  • You cannot use Wikipedia as a source but you can use it to find other sources.


Citing Sources:

Essay Rubric and Due Dates:
Outline Due 1/14
•10 Points
•Must be detailed and have sources cited
•Can be typed or handwritten

Rough Draft Due 1/21
•10 Points
•Must be complete and typed

Final Draft Due 1/27
Ideas 10
•Conventions 10
•Organization 10
•Sentence Fluency 10
•MLA/Citations 10

Assignment partially based on: http://campuses.fortbendisd.com/campuses/documents/Teacher/2010/teacher_20100513_1139.pdf